Dialysis Center on Main Street Approved

The empty building on the corner of Main and Williams Streets, which formerly housed Pelton Drugs, will soon house a dialysis center for patients with kidney disease. The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a special exception for this use at their meeting on Wednesday evening. The developer plans to use about 15% of the space for retail, 15% for office space, and the remainder for patient treatment.

Da Vita Dialysis

The Da Vita Corporation, which purchased the successful dialysis center in Riverview Plaza, decided that they wanted to operate in a larger space on Main Street. They turned to BL Companies, which built the Rite Aid Building on the other end of the same Main Street block as the Peltons building. When Rite Aid moved from the Pelton's store into this new building, it left the former Pelton's store empty. With the approval of the dialysis center, BL will purchase the building from the current owners, and then lease the building to Da Vita. Ralph Wilson represented the owner, in the application to use the building as a dialysis center.

Bob Landino, president of BL, talked about his company's

previous efforts to rent the empty Pelton's building, "It's very difficult to find tenants who would choose a large size building on Main Street versus one on Washington Street." He said even small retail spaces on Main Street were difficult to rent, pointing to one in their own Rite Aid Building, which has not yet been rented.

Landino said that after the Da Vita Corporation turned to them to develop the Pelton's building, they presented a design to the Planning Department with no retail space at all. After discussions with City Planner Bill Warner, they compromised and designed 2,000 square feet of the 14,000 square feet building as retail space. Landino said he was not optimistic that they would be able to rent even those smaller spaces, "We aren't counting on this retail to pay the mortgage."

The vice president of Da Vita explained that the corporation has 1600 dialysis centers nationwide, with 32 divisional offices. He said Da Vita would like to move the divisional office from Avon to the new center on Main Street because it is central, and provides easy walking to restaurants and other shopping on Main Street. He said the average spending by the corporation on public relations, meetings, and entertainment in cities with divisional offices is about $450,000 per year. The Inn at Middletown, the immediate neighbor of the dialysis center, will get business from Da Vita, and Wilson presented the commissioners a letter of support for the dialysis center from the manager of The Inn.

Public Comments and a Decision

Larry McHugh, president of the Chamber of Commerce, gave his strong support for the dialysis center. He spoke to the importance of having this medical care available in Middletown, "It's a quality of life issue." He also praised Da Vita for their size, and marveled over their desire to move to our city, "It's a Fortune 500 company that wants to relocate their headquarters from Avon to Middletown. From Avon to Middletown!" He also praised the work of BL Companies, calling their Rite Aid Drive-through pharmacy building "a home run."

Jennifer Alexander, who has worked for many years to vitalize downtown, spoke out against giving an exception to allow non-retail use of a Main Street building. She said that if an exception were granted because this developer was unable to find a tenant, other property owners might also look for exceptions allowing them to turn their Main Street retail space into offices. She also questioned why other properties, away from Main Street, were not being considered by Da Vita:

What benefit does this project bring to the property values of our Main Street, to the viability of our downtown district? It's simply not true that there is no other place that would make a suitable home for this tenant. The main benefit is to the developer, and that's not a good enough reason for a special exception.

Commissioner Catherine Johnson expressed concerns that the loss of retail space would create a 'gap' in the block, reducing the mutualism between retail and natural pedestrian flow. Other commissioners were more enthusiastic, and the special exception was approved by a vote of 6-1.

Commissioners Impervious to Walgreens' Request

The Walgreens Drive-through pharmacy on Main Street Extension, currently under construction, requested a change in the conditions under which they received approval. Through the CPH Engineering firm, represented by Herbert May, they asked to be relieved of the requirement that 10 parking spaces be on a pervious surface (this reduces storm run-off pollution). Their justification for the request was that they had reduced the impervious paving elsewhere on the parking lot and drive-through areas. The Commission unanimously guffawed, rejecting a change in conditions on an approval that was only granted earlier this year.

Shiloh Christian Church in South Farms

Middletown is fortunate to have a wealth of distinctive architecture, much of which was constructed in the nineteenth century. One building of note, currently occupied by Shiloh Christian Church, is slated for demolition or removal. The congregation wishes to relocate to a larger lot further south along Saybrook Road. Previous stories in the Eye have focused on the deliberations in the P&Z commission and on the siting, parking lot, and drive-thru of the proposed Walgreens.

Some of the stories in the Eye have made mention of the aesthetic appeal of the church building. What follows elaborates on this, and also includes a note about the historic significance of the building. Middletown looks to be on the verge of losing this structure, as it has lost many others. It seems appropriate, at the very least, to reflect on what it is we are losing.

From A Survey of Historical and Architectural Resources conducted by the Greater Middletown Preservation Trust (Middletown: GMPT, 1979):

Section 18. Historical or Architectural Importance: This building, consecrated in 1869, is the oldest church in the South Farms district of Middletown. It originally was Christ Episcopal Church, a branch of the Church of the Holy Trinity located on Main Street. The Heritage Congregational Church, the present owner [remember, this was written in 1979], obtained the property in 1965.

The structure is a good example of "carpenter Gothic." Steep roof lines and a distinctive bell tower characterize the building. The roof also displays gabled dormers, and a small chimney pot stands in front of the belfry. Beneath the tower, a small ell provides entrance to the nave. Like the small stained glass windows that illuminate the nave, the portal is Gothic-arched. It encloses the entranceway which includes tracery above the door. The church is decorated by stick-work, characteristic of this style.

Heritage Congregational Church, an important South Farms landmark, is reminiscent of an era when modest wooden churches were erected in the outlying city districts. Its distinctive, well-preserved appearance and conspicuous placement make it a visual asset to the neighborhood which has undergone significant transformation in recent years.

Also worth quoting is section 17, "other notable features". These are:

Stick-style belfry crowned by ornamental lightning rods

Severely pitched roof is supported by unusual wood braces

Finally, it should be noted that this description predates the modest wing that was added to the church in the 1990s.

The website for the current church congregation has a nice photograph of the building.

What's the prescription for an asphalt addiction?

Comment

By Jennifer Saines

The enthusiasm for “change” that permeated the airwaves of our country for the past year has not, unfortunately, been incorporated into politics at the town level. At Wednesday night’s P&Z meeting, the commissioners (save one), the Walgreen’s developer, and the members of the Shiloh Christian Church clung to the worn-out mentality of convenience at any cost and the sanctity of asphalt. Pedestrian and cyclist safety and amenities and long term health issues seem trivial obstacles to a streamlined automobile-dependent universe. Never mind that an iconic 140 year-old church at a prominent Middletown gateway will be demolished to make way for the architectural under-achievement that is a Walgreens, surrounded by 65 parking spaces.


The soon-to-be demol-ished church







I hope that the number “65” has raised at least a few eyebrows. Even a generous allowance of fifteen spaces for employees leaves a whopping 50 spaces for customers. When was the last time you encountered 49 other people in a pharmacy? Ironically, this is a drive-thru pharmacy, which should theoretically decrease the need for fixed parking spaces. Commissioner Phipps is to be commended for questioning the need for so many parking spaces and so much asphalt. The developer’s response that the number was simply required by Walgreens was unconvincing, since the company had already reduced that “requirement” to approach the city’s recommendation of 50. The developer then quickly volunteered to construct ten of the spaces of pervious material if that would please the commission, although because it would be expensive he could not do more than that. (Has anyone has ever seen the parking lot of the Walgreens on 66 even near capacity? I have since been informed that Walgreens and other big-box type chains want to create a public perception of ample parking.)

The fact that the Walgreens was applying for a “special exception” for a drive-thru seemed secondary to the proceedings. The plans were presented, incorporating the design of the drive-thru, as if the special exception had already been approved. I found this confusing, and wondered why so much work had been done by the developer in advance of P&Z approval. When this question was raised, the developer quickly and definitively stated that drug stores without a drive-thru are simply not built in Connecticut any more, and the developer would withdraw the application if the special exception were denied.

One commissioner seemed especially delighted that a drive-thru in a nearby bank was saving him so much time, and a member of the church assumed that everyone uses the drive-thru at McDonalds, so why not a drive-thru pharmacy? Despite my opposition to a drive-thru, Commissioner Borrelli’s argument that the satellite bank saved him a trip into town certainly did seem to make sense. We are a big city, area wise, and could use small neighborhood centers for basic necessities such as banking and wine, groceries, drugs, and a movie. This is consistent with Commissioner Johnson’s comments before the final vote (which were nearly stifled by a fellow commissioner) that Middletown develop small neighborhood centers to serve small communities within the city.

This area has the potential to be a community center with a distinct identity and a variety of shopping destinations. Unfortunately, the development thus far has been wanting. The existing stores are fronted by a sea of parking and separated from the proposed Walgreens by an ocean of asphalt sometimes five lanes wide. Commercial buildings should abut the sidewalk, face the street, and connect to others by sidewalks. This very traditional yet proven configuration welcomes the shopper, encourages movement, and puts life on the street. The re-siting of the Walgreens in such a way would be a first step in linking the various establishments of that center.


Five lanes for your auto-motive pleasure







As a community we should urge the Planning and Zoning commission to put a cap on parking lot size. We should also push for a reform of street design. The long-standing practice of widening streets and building additional lanes for the sake of “traffic flow” has compromised the general health of the community, discriminated against the pedestrian and the cyclist, and diminished the environmental, cultural and aesthetic appeal of our city. If it is too late to save the church, the achievement of these goals would at least help to offset this loss.

Commentary "Lead us not into Temptation."

a proverb from the Lord's Prayer, left at the door when entering the chambers of the P&Z meeting on Wednesday night?

It is hard to believe that not one person at the meeting standing in favor of the Walgreens at the intersection of Main and East Main Streets dared to question the wisdom, of the developer and the city on the plan as proposed. Where was the concern for our God given Earth and her environment and a consideration of what is best for the planet? Where was the concern for all people of your local community, not just the people of the church? Surely there must be some members of the public who spoke in favor of the proposal who where questioning the wisdom of the plan as presented. Did you dare not speak-up and ask the developer to consider the health and safety of all who would be subject to the changes in traffic patterns, (drive thru, adding more driveways for in and out of traffic, lane change configurations, additional lanes, additional traffic, increased speed of traffic, changing the environment for pedestrians, wheelchair users, and bicyclists) not just the motoring public, for fear the entire plan would be denied? Where is your awareness or concern for environmental justice? (Please see Wikipedia definition at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_justice ). Where is the concern to provide an environment that is safe and secure for those who chose active transport, or those who might not have any other choice but to use active transport? Does Walgreens or any other pharmacy for that matter—our corporate "purveyors of health"—have policies that involve doing what is best to truly promote good health for ALL Americans. The research literature is clear (please take some time to visit the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation web site, http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id=20112 this is just one of many good sites, thought arguably one of the best sites for lots of specific and general information on the subject), (additional source of good information, from the American Public Health Association web site, titled At the Intersection of Public Health and Transportation: Promoting Healthy Transportation Policy. http://www.apha.org/NR/rdonlyres/43F10382-FB68-4112-8C75-49DCB10F8ECF/0/TransportationBrief.pdft )that the built environment and land use patterns are having profound effects on the nations health; does anyone know this, does anyone care? Does anyone care how much this is costing us as a nation in terms of health care spending dollars? Welcome to views of the movie Wall.E World.
http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/walle/

I am saddened, as well as disappointed that not one person standing in favor of the plan said please, perhaps we should reconsider some aspects of the plan, and acknowledge that our friends on the other side of the aisle have some reasonable points regarding health and safety/injury prevention. This nation is facing an obesity epidemic, with resulting chronic health ramifications. Much of CT, Middletown included, has heads and feet buried in quick-sand, regarding some of the documented ill effects of the built environment and land usage policy as it currently exists, on our nation's, and on our very own local health. This is why I will continue to go to planning and zoning meetings week after to week to speak to this pressing concern, and continue to ask that the city, that the P&Z, that anyone who cares, and can help to effect change, step up to the plate and get serious about getting something done, and setting precedents for what can be expected of developers and ourselves—the future of our city and all who live here—to see that we build the city in a manner that is conducive to,(trees, plantings, benches, pedestrian friendly, family friendly sidewalks, safe accessibility for those traveling by wheelchair, or cane, and bicycle friendly roads, ect.) encourages, promotes and allows for, healthy active behaviors. The other side of the health coin that plays into this plea is reducing our accident, injury and mortality rates, not just in the best interests of motorists, but for all users.

It is not to late. Please reconsider, consider the evidence, and ask the city and developer to take a closer look at what they can do, to do a better job—in building this space, and building place and all future spaces that promote health for the environment, health for the people—for you, for me—and yes, even the health and good will of the corporation.

State legislative happenings; I am forwarding this update that came my way. Contact your representatives to voice your support of these measures.
COMPLETE STREETS
Transportation Committee also has a bill, currently being drafted by a group working with Rep. Tom Kehoe and the Committee Co-Chairs, which will call for comprehensive "Complete Streets" programs. This legislation will do various things to make our transportation system more accommodating towards pedestrians and cyclists, including requiring that the state DOT accommodate users other than drivers on our roads. It's quite long so I won't get into the details here. The number is SB 735 and the initial public hearing most likely will be in a couple of weeks.

In addition to SB 735, there are a number of other proposed bills out there related to traffic calming, traffic safety reporting, speeding issues on highways, crosswalk funding for school construction programs, better pedestrian accommodations around mass transit stops, and so on and so forth. As I understand, it is likely that many of these measures can be incorporated into the Transportation Committee's SB 735 "Complete Streets" bill -- but if you have extra time, don't hesitate to look them up now and thank the people who were involved in proposing each piece of legislation.